The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

The Weekend by Charlotte WoodPeople went on about death bringing friends together, but it wasn't true. The graveyard, the stony dirt that's what it was like now . . . Four older women have a lifelong friendship of the best loving, practical, frank and steadfast. But when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three. Can they survive together without her? They are Jude, a once famous restaurateur, Wendy, an acclaimed public intellectual, and Adele, a renowned

People went on about death bringing friends together, but it wasn't true. The graveyard, the stony dirt - that's what it was like now . . .
Four older women have a lifelong friendship of the best loving, practical, frank and steadfast. But when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three. Can they survive together without her?
They are Jude, a once-famous restaurateur, Wendy, an acclaimed public intellectual, and Adele, a renowned actress now mostly out of work. Struggling to recall exactly why they've remained close all these years, the grieving women gather for Christmas at Sylvie's old beach house - not for festivities, but to clean the place out before it is sold.
Without Sylvie to maintain the group's delicate equilibrium, frustrations build and painful memories press in. Fraying tempers, an elderly dog, unwelcome guests and too much wine collide in a storm that brings long-buried hurts to the surface - and threatens to sweep away their friendship for good.
The Weekend explores growing old and growing up, and what happens when we're forced to uncover the lies we tell ourselves. Sharply observed and excruciatingly funny, this is a jewel of a a celebration of tenderness and friendship that is nothing short of a masterpiece.